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Mark Dietrich
| cityofbirth = Brookeville, Maryland | countryofbirth = United States | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Defender | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears = 1995-1996 | youthclubs = Bonneville United | years = 1996-2008 2008-2016 | clubs = Bonneville United Bonneville Juniors | caps(goals) = | nationalyears = 1997-2012 | nationalteam = St. Gregory | nationalcaps(goals) = | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Mark Oliver Dietrich (born February 14, 1978) is a retired American-born Gregorian association footballer. A defender, Dietrich last played for Bonneville Juniors, where he was club captain. He also played for the St. Gregory national team. Early life Dietrich was born in Brookeville, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., where his father, Frank, worked for the federal government. In 1992, the family moved to St. Gregory and settled in Warner Bay where Frank Dietrich was part of the United States' diplomatic mission to the territory. Dietrich attended Thomas Warner High School and played soccer for the school, where he was teammates with Joey Guthrie, who would also go on to turn professional. Club career Bonneville United During Dietrich's penultimate year of high school, he was approached by Bonneville United and offered a scholarship at the club's academy. He originally turned United down, intending to graduate from Thomas Warner, but agreed in the summer of 1995 to join United and complete his schooling through the academy. Dietrich made an immediate impact with the United reserve team and made four appearances for the first team late in the 1995-96 season. By the midway point of 1996-97, a series of injuries had led to Dietrich gaining a regular spot in United's formidable backline which also included names like Matthew Rice and Ian Fuller. As well as winning a League A championship with United that season, Dietrich was named as a starter for the 1997 SGFA Cup Final, which United won. Dietrich would go on to spend another 11 seasons with United, winning a total of seven League A titles and four SGFA Cups. His final match for the club was on May 24, 2008, as United clinched the league title by defeating A.C. Calabria. Bonneville Juniors In the summer of 2008, Dietrich was approached by Bonneville Juniors, the former United academy club who had officially broken from their ties with the parent club at the end of the previous season in order to mount a challenge for promotion to League A. Dietrich signed a three-year deal with Juniors on July 21, 2008, and was immediately named club captain, a position he held up until his retirement. Retirement At the conclusion of the 2015-16 League A season, 38 year-old Dietrich told reporters that he was unsure whether he would return for another professional season and that he would weigh up the decision in the early part of the summer. On July 11, 2016, Dietrich announced via social media and an accompanying press release that he would retire, having accomplished his final remaining goal of taking Bonneville Juniors to League A and securing their position there. Shirt number Dietrich wore the number 28 for his entire professional career, the number first assigned to him when he made his debut for Bonneville United. Category:Player pages Category:Bonneville Juniors F.C. players Category:Bonneville United F.C. players Category:St. Gregory national team players Category:SGFA All-Stars players Category:People from Warner Bay Category:People from the United States Category:Retired players